India and the United States on Thursday agreed to expedite co-production ventures to improve their defence and strategic partnership. Defence minister Manohar Parrikar and his American counterpart Ashton Carter held a closed-door meeting in Washington for 90 minutes, reported PTI. They discussed regional and global security issues, and reviewed the cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries, according to the report.

Parrikar said the defence cooperation was a vital component of India's strategic partnership with the US, which Carter affirmed the Barack Obama administration was ready to strengthen further. Both ministers also expressed enthusiasm over American companies working with their Indian counterparts in the production and design of sensitive jet engine components.

In addition, Parrikar and Carter discussed opportunities to collaborate in other projects that could promote Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Make in India initiative. Among the regional security issues discussed were the threat posed by the Islamic State, Al-Qaeda and its affiliates, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and other terror groups, the joint statement said.